Anticreeper for railway rails



W. S. WESTON ANTICREEPER FOR RAILWAY RAILS Filed Sept. 20. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 9, 1 24. 11,518,4-"52 W. s. WESTON ANTICREEPER FOR RAILWAY RAILS Filed Sept. 20, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 frwerzl'or":-

MM WM ,5 7%) M, W) /W Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

PATENT QFFHCE.

WILLIAM S. WESTON, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

ANTICB-EEPER FOR B-AILVV'AY RAILS.

Application filed September 20, 1923.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lViLLIAM S. lVns'roN.

a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Dallas, county of Dallas, and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anticreepers for Railway Rails, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements on 19 the spring clamp anticreeper set forth in United States Letters Patent No. 1,120,258,

granted to me December 8, 1914, wherein three seats for effective bearing on the rail base flanges, actuated by the spring quality of the device, establish and maintain a grip thereon, which in functional operation becomes a double lever grip.

The primary objects of my present invention are improvements in the form and construction of the component parts which will aid in the establishment of a more perfect initial grip at the time of the installation of the device, and at the same time make the device more rigid under the action of the applied force in functional operation. The full construction of an anticreeper embodying these improvements is hereinafter described and clearly illustrated in the accom- 'ianying drawings which form a part of these specifications. The novel features are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail R showing the anticreeper in position against the tie T. Figure 2 is an elevation transverse to the rail as seen from the left of Fig. 1 with the tie omitted. Figure 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Figure 4 is another plan view similar to Fig. 3, with the rail in dotted outline, showing the relative manufactured shape of the device. Fig ures 5, 6 and 7 illustrate the initial position of the device in the process of its installation. Figure 8 is an elevation of the rail side of one member at the time of installation taken on the line 88 ofFig. 6. The same numerals and letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several views.

Described in general terms, my anticreeper comprises a tie abutting member disposed in a longitudinal direction along one rail base flange and provided with eifective seats for bearing thereon at or ad- LI I jacent its ends; in combination with a sec- Serial No. 663,723.

ond member disposed in a diagonal transverse direction beneath the rail, connected with the longitudinal member at or near its seat the farther away from the tie. and having at its free end a single seat, for hearing on the rail base flange, located directly opposite the longitudinal member at a point that is intermediate between the end of that member. As seen in plan view, the general line of the longitudinal member connecting its two effective seats, in combination with the general line of the diagonal transverse member connecting one of the seats of the longitudinal member with the single seat on the opposite base flange form a letter V. By this structural connection between the three effective seats of bearing, my present device will be recognized as an anticreeper of the V-form type described in my prior patent referred to.

The resilient initial holding grip of the device is obtained by manufacturing it with the angle of the V less than required by the base of the rail on which it is to be used. In my present invention, I make the longitudinal member as rigid and unyielding as possible, like a casting of hard iron or semi-steel, while the diagonal member I make of rolled or drawn material like spring steel or other heat treated metal with a high range of elastic movement. The installation is accomplished through the bending of the transverse member only, and the initial holding grip is maintained; by the resilient quality of that member.

Referring to the drawings, the 1ongitu dinal member of the anticreeper, indicated by the numeral 2, is provided with a part 3 overhanging one rail base flange. and a part 4; adjacent to and adapted to abut against the tie. The transverse member lying diagonally beneath the rail is attached, preferably by cast welding, to the longitudinal member near the end more remote from the tie at the point indicated by the numeral The free end of the transverse member has an upturned hook 6 on the opposite side of the rail base. The longitudinal member has two points or seats for effective bearing against one edge of the rail base, one seat 7 at one end near the connection with the transverse member and one seat 8 at the other end immediately above the tie abutting part I. The upturned hook 6 has one seat for bearing 9 against the opposite edge of the rail base at a point which, as stated, is directly opposite a point intermediate be tween seats 7 and 8. As shown by dotted outline in Fig. 4:, when the device is seatedon the rail, it is necessary to spring seat 9 away from the line passing through the other two seats. This expansion is accomplished by the bending of the transverse member, the bend taking effect mostly as shown near the junction 5 with the longitudinal memher; The effect on the relation of the three seatsis to open the angle of the 1/, formed by lines connecting the seats, as previously described, thus increasing the distance between seats 8 and 9 and very slightly decreasing, because of the bend, the distance between the seats 7 and 9. This opening of the angle of the V-fornr anchor is not accompanied by any bending of the rigid longitudinal member or by torsion in the rigid connection between the members. 'I he tendency ofthe-transverse member to recover its original position because of it'sspring quality constitutes the inherent resiliency of tl'ledevice, utilized to hold' it inoperative position on the rail.

It is to be noted that the seats 7 and S), in combination with the adjacent portions of the'transverse member, are shoulderseats, as distinguished from jaw seats. The seat 8 is a jaw seat in the sense that it has a surface for a bearing both on the top' and bottom as well as edge of the base flange. The topportion 8 is formed by the adjacent part of the overhang 3= of menxberQ and is an important element in the transmission of the applied force in functional operation. The short bottom portion 8 'serves two pur poses, as will be described hereinafter.

In functional operation, the tie reaction indicated by the arrow 10, against any tendency of the rail to creep in the opposite di rection tends to rotate the longitudinal 1ncmher in a vertical plane and develops a' lever grip with seat 8 and its top portion S acting. as one fulcrum or point of bearing. and the seat 7 with the immediate adjacent portion of the transverse member acting as the other fulcrum or point of bearing. By iii-airing the longitudinal member of unyielding material in as unyielding a shape as possible, I accomplish (meet the primary objects of my present invention, by increasing the rigidity of the device against the force opcrating in the vertical plane. Should the tie reaction force be suiiicient to overcome the grip ust described,-then a lever grip acting in a horizontal plane comes into operation with the seats 7 and 9 at opposite ends of the; transverse member acting as the fulcrums or points of bearing. The development of thehorizontal grip insures the maintenance of the vertical grip, and initial action of these grips is insured by the inherent spring quality of the device taking effect at the three seats of bearing.

It is to be noted here that while'theoverhanging portion 3' of the longitudinal men her is made to have a fairly snug fit on the top of the'hase flange, and is so shaped as to aid in bringing seat 7 to its correct position at installation, as will be described, yet in functional operation, only the edge forming the top portion 8 of the seat 8 has an effective bearing. Also, referring to the dotted outline shown in Fig. it to be noted that the intermediate portion Of member'Q between seats 7 and S does not bear against the edge of the rail base.

The reliability of a lever grip is contingent 011 the friction at the fulcrum seats that is to say, the bite or intermesh of the irreg; ularity of the fulcrum surface intothe irregularity of the surface being held. To increase this bite for the horizontal lever, I preferably incline the surface of seat 9 like the end of a planer tool or chisel, so that the edge 9 will indent the rust and scale on the edge of the rail when first installed and tend to-bite in deeper in subsequent functional operations. In my present invention, I also provide means for incrsasingthe bite at seat 7. Referring to Fig. 8, I provide on the lower portion of the vertical face of seat 7 a number of shallow ridges 7 that are adapted to be slid or rocked upward into bearing against the edge of the rail base at the-time of installation. It is to be noted that should the ridges 7 and the chisel edge 9 become sunk their full depth into the base edges, the resilient quality of the transverse member tending to recover its manufactured shape, will: still hold them in that depth on any width of rail base for which the anticrecper is designed to be used.

The installation of thedevice will now be described. The distance between the shoulder seats- 7 and 9 is greater than the width of the rail base, so the hook (3 will clear the opposite edge when the transverse member is passed. by hand under the rail, substantially at right angle thereto, as shown in Fig. In this position, the tieabutting portion 4i isabove and partly overhanging t'he rail base with the lower centra portion of nieu'iber 2 resting against the base edge. The final seating is then accomplished by driving the tie abutting part -idownward, as indicated by the arrow 11, rotating the entire device about an axis substantially that of the transverse member, swinging the book 6 up beyondthe farther edge of the base and snapping the shallow jaw seat 8 into position, as shown in Fig. 2. To serve this purpose, the inner edge 4" of the abutment portion is sloped inward and upward. to provide the short forward ion till) (ill then applied to seats '7 and 9 in the direction indicated by arrows 15 and 16.

The shortbearing 8 completing the jaw seat at that point is designed for two purposes, the primary of which is toprevent a vertical movement of the abutting part l which would be caused by friction with the tie as the rail rises and lowers slightly under the passing of wheel loads. A secondary purpose of the jaw, as a jaw seat, is to assist in holding the opposite end of the transverse member with hook 6 up against the base of the rail. However, I do not depend upon the aw alone for that purpose. At the time of installation, when the hook 6 is given a hammer blow, as indicated, to insure the bite of seat 9 at the edge 9*, the blow may be made sufliciently hard near the upper end to slightly bend the hook to an incline over the rail base edge. This incline would be utilized solely to aid in keeping the device in operative position and does not enter into the functional operation.

It is to be noted that a change in the lines of my anticreeper might be made which at first glance would seem to reduce the number of effective seats necessary. To illustrate: Omitting the shallow ridges 7', the seats 7 and 8 could be run together as one long seat. The central portion of the long seat, however, would have no function to perform and finally would prevent the more perfect seating of the two ends. Other changes in the form or construction of the parts might be made without changing the elements essential to my invention. To illustrate: While I prefer to manufacture my improved anticreeper as a one-piece device, with the transverse member castwelded to the longitudinal member, yet the trans verse member might be manufactured to be handled separate from the longitudinal men'iber and he threaded therein or otherwise interlocked therewith, at the willv oil? the mechanic.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z- 1. A spring clamp anticreepcr for railway rails adapted to be sprung into operative position, comprising a tie abutting member of rigid and unyielding 't'orm adapted to extend longitudinally of the rail and bear at points adjacent its ends on one rail base flange, and

a transverse bar member adapted to extend in a diagonal position beneath the rail and having a seat for hearing against the edge of the opposite rail base flange; said diagonally arranged transverse bar member being flexible whereby the distance between said seat and said tie abutting member may be expanded in the process of installation.

2. A spring clamp anticreeper tor railwav rails adapted to be sprung into operative position, comprising a longitudinal tie-almtting member of rigid and unyielding form and a diagonally disposed transverse member rigidly connected at one end of said longitudinal member and having a seat forbearing on one rail base flange, said longitudinal member being arranged to bear upon the edge of the opposite flange at points both forwardly and rcarwardly of said seat and. said diagonal transverse member being flexible where the distance between its seat and the v:- ward end of said longitudinal member may be expanded in the process of installation.

3. A spring clamp anticreeper for railway rails adapted to be sprung into operative position, comprising a tie abutting member of rigid and unyielding form arranged longitudinally with the rail with seats adj acent its ends for hearing on one rail base flange, and a resilient flexible transverse bar member arranged in a diagonal position beneath the rail with a single seat for hearing against the edge of the opposite rail base flange; the seats of the longitudinal member adjacent the ends thereof being adapted to be rotated from initial positions. one above and one below the level or the base flange, about the center line of the transverse member as an axis in the process of installation, into their respective bearings on said flange.

4. An anticreeper for railway rails of l -form adapted to be sprung into position on the rail base and comprising unyielding and resilient members rigidly connected adjacent the apex of the V-form and adapted to engage the rail base flange at three points of bearing arranged adjacent the apex of the -form and the free ends of said members respectively.

5. An anticreeper for railway rails comprising a stiff, unyielding tie-abutting incur ber adapted to bear at points adjacent its ends on one rail base flange and a transverse resilient member adapted to bear at its free end on the other rail base flange, said members being connected together to rotate as a unit in installation on the rail and adapted thereby to place said resilient transverse member under bending strain.

6. An anticreeper for railway rails comprising two members only, rigidly connetmed together, one of which members is still and unyielding and the other of which is resib ient to permit the anticreeper to be sprung into position on the rail base.

7. An anticreeper for railway rails adapted to be sprung into position on the rail base and comprising an unyielding member having stiffening flanges and a resilient mem her, said members bein rigidly connected by cast welding.

member when the anticreeper is forced toposition on the rail base and said longitudinal member having rail-engaging or bearing portions both in frontand in rear of said seat.

A rail anticreeper adapted to be sprung into position on the rail base and comprising a stiff unyielding tie-abutting member and a resilient transverse member rigidly connected to the rear end said tie-abutting member and inclined forwardly therefrom, said anticreeper having shoulder bearing seats adjacent the ends of said transverse member and a jaw seat adjacent the forward end of said tie-abutting member.

10. A rail anticreeper comprising a longitudinal tie-abutting member and a transverse member and having two seats adjacent the ends of the longitudinal member for hearing on one rail base flange and a single seat adjacent the free end of said transverse member for hearing on the opposite flange, the seats adjacent the ends of said longitudinal member being adapted to be rotated from initial positions one above and the other below the rail base flange into bearing therewith.

11. A rail anticreeper comprising a longitudinal tie-abutting member and a transverse member and having two seats adjacent the ends of the longitudinal member for bearing on one rail base flange and a single seat adjacent the free end of said transverse member for hearing on the opposite Flange, the seats adjacent the ends of said longitudinal member being adapted to be rotated from initial positions one above and the other below the railbase flange into bearing therewith, the: said single seat and the seat adjacent the rear end of the longitudinal member having sharp edges for biting into the edges of the rail base flanges.

12. A rail anticreeper adapted to be sprung into position on the rail base and comprising a longitudinal tie-abutting memher and a transverse member and having three bearing seats adjacent the free ends and junction of said members respectively, the two seats adjacent the ends of the longitudinal member being adapted to be rotated from initial positions one above and the other below one of the rail base flanges into bearing therewith and thereby force the seat at the free end of the transverse member forwardly along the edge of the opposite rail base flange and into snug bearing therewith.

13. An anticreeper for rail-way rails comprising longitudinal and. transverse members in V-form and having three rail-engaging seats, one adjacent the free end of each of said members and one adjacent the connected ends thereof, said antioreeper being adapted to be sprung into position upon the rail base With the seats adjacent the ends of the longitudinal member arranged in front and in rear respectively of the seat adjacent the free end of the transverse member, one of said members being resilient and flexible and the other and the connection between the members being rigid and unyielding whereby the distortion effected by the installation of the anticreeper is confined to the bending of the resilient member.

VILLIAM S. WESTON. 

